[Shanksta]

This is the story of a car that I casually went to test drive on a boring Sunday afternoon and ended up falling in love with. I still cannot believe I ended up buying the Verna.

Meet SENA : My Fiery Red 2022 Hyundai Verna SX Petrol MT



Likes:

* The extremely refined and quiet 1497cc MPI engine with 113 horses on tap.
* The super slick and sure slotting 6 speed manual transmission that will spoil your experience with other manuals that are not there yet.
* The freezing Aircon that does its job quietly in Auto mode.
* The beautiful silhouette coupled with those gorgeous headlamps and tail lamps that can make you lose track of time while staring at them, especially in the night.
* The suspension that is superbly tuned and keeps you cocooned away from the bumps and ruts that are found nowadays on Chennai roads.
* The steering that makes you realise how far Hyundai has come from there lifeless steering days.
* The overall VFM nature of SX variant that feels unparalleled in a sea of overpriced cars these days.
* The center facia that is tilted towards the driver is a neat touch over the symmetrical dashboard found in the earlier variants.
* While the earlier 1.6 mill was known for its drinking habits the BS6 1.5 mill is extremely fuel efficient. This took me by surprise.
* The engine bay is very well organised and packed neatly. There are no gaping holes that give a view of the road below the car. The rubber seal between the hood and the bumper help keep the engine bay neat and clean.

Dislikes:

* While the paint quality is good, the finish could have been much better. Quite a bit of orange peel and also the cost cutting is very obvious when you open the hood and see unpainted sections (read primer).
* The ground clearance while adequate is still low by Indian standards and is something you need to remember while driving the car around.
* The throw from the projector fog lamps and headlamps is average at best.
* The headroom for the rear seat passengers is next to nil for anyone over 5'8" owning to the coupe like rear design.
* The wireless Android auto in the stock system is wonky and tends to disconnect at least once every hour when connected wirelessly.
* The OE dual horn, while sounding premium, is extremely loud and everytime I honk there is atleast one person on the road that stares back at me.
* The spare wheel is a 15" tyre mounted on a steel rim.
* The lack of Auto-folding ORVMS during lock/unlock, despite the mirrors having electric fold button is a pain. Gotten used to this on my EcoSport.

[Shanksta]

Why buy a new car ?

We had a 2009 Toyota Innova GX(BS3) that was doing our family duties. Our Innova was my dad's ride to office and subsequently became my car too(ad-hoc basis) once I got my driver's license in 2012. We clocked 1,47,737 kms in past 12 years 7 months before handing her over in exchange for the Hyundai Verna on 13 July 2022. The Innova holds a very special place in our hearts, it was just always there ready to tackle anything we decided to put her through. We also did an epic Family road trip to Bhutan in Dec 2016 (Link) (Road-Trip: Chennai to Bhutan!).

So why sell the Innova ?

Well 2020 changed a lot of things for the entire world and that included the Innova being parked for a long time without use. Post the pandemic my dad's usage of the Innova had also reduced drastically with the car doing hardly 300-500kms a month. This in my books is extremely low usage for a workhorse like the Innova and it just pained me to see her standing in the driveway. Adding to this was the unpredictable future for older diesel vehicles.

Also it did not help matters when I got myself my first ever new car in March 2021, which is a Ford EcoSport Diesel Titanium.(Ownership link)

One fine day last year I drove the Innova after a long time and that is when it hit me on how much cars these days have improved with respect to the ease of driving. I had driven my EcoSport for a fair bit (7-8k kms) by then and that me realise how heavy the steering and clutch were in the Innova. Moreover it made me realise my dad did not need to exert this much to drive the car at his age. This coupled with the ever-changing emission rules sparked the thought to replace the Innova. There was no guarantee on what the rule would be in 2024 when the Innova would be up for a RC extension. We thought it would be better to sell the Innova when we could rather than being forced to scrap or sell the Innova for a low price in the future.

After a few months of back and forth between my parents and me, trying to convince them that all they needed at most was a Petrol Compact SUV. This coupled with the fact that we may not be able to renew the RC for the Innova in 2024 if we have NCR like rules implemented made them realise that I had a valid point.

The car hunt begins...

So we came to a conclusion that we will replace the Innova with a Petrol manual car that had to have a good Aircon unit, easy ingress/egress(since we're used to the walk in/walk out nature of the Innova) and ride quality within a budget of 12 lakhs on road(extendable by a lakh if we really liked the car).

Now I am not going to bore you with a detailed pros and cons list for each car we considered, rather will mention briefly on what we liked and why we rejected the car.

Maruti Suzuki:

* S Cross Zeta - A great all rounder with ample space, mature ride quality and tractable engine (especially the Zeta was super VFM). Rejected for two reasons, one my mom did not like the looks and two my dad did not want a car that was being axed from the market.

* New XL6 Zeta - Again a great replacement for the Innova. But we did not need the extra space and the new XL6 starting price was 1.5lakhs more than our budget.

* Swift ZXi+ - Did not feel like a Swift at all, feel good factor was missing and we felt it was grossly overpriced for the way it felt to drive.

* Vitara Brezza VXi - Did not like the car in person, looks very toyish.

* New Baleno Alpha - Ingress/Egress was too low for my dad and again it did not feel like a 11 lakh rupee car.

Hyundai

* Venue SX(pre-facelift)- The test drive vehicle we drive was in bad shape with just 16k kms on the odometer and it instantly gave us a bad vibe. This along with the black interiors made the car feel claustrophobic.

* Creta E - Felt it was a little bigger than what we needed plus not a lot of dealers were happy to sell the car without buying accessories worth atleast 50k from them.

Tata

* Nexon XZ - Dad liked the seats and was impressed with the interiors. Rejected because of the unrefined and vocal 1.2 liter turbocharged engine.

* Altroz XZ+ - Again my dad was impressed with the interiors and the way the car looked. Also surprisingly the ingress/egress was found to be comfortable with the driver seat set to full height. The only fly in a great ointment was that 1.2 liter 3 cylinder engine.

Nissan

* Magnite - This was car that my dad loved since its launch. He was super excited to drive the car and this turned out to be a great disappointment. In his words "It just feels very crude, there is no refinement". It is great on space though.

Volkswagen

* Taigun - Choppy ride and a meek Aircon unit. The pricing was also a little on higher side. The base variant we were looking at had no discounts. That 1liter TSI and the gearbox were great though. It just did not feel special.

* Virtus - The Virtus was just launched and I fell in love with the car when I saw the display vehicle. The ingress/egress was too low for my parents.

Honda

* Jazz - Somehow this did not feel special. It is a very practical hatchback though. By the way there were no discounts for the Jazz.

Citroen

* C3 - I had been to check out this hatch when it was available for test drive. Felt it was too basic to replace the Innova and skipped taking my dad. I had shared my observations here. Would definitely by this car if needed a beater for the city.

How did the Verna come into the picture ?

Well after test driving all the above cars my dad was pretty disappointed that none of them felt special. While my dad was focussing on the cars we shortlisted, I had also been browsing the Honda City V Petrol silently. It looked like a great package and my mind chose this opportunity to make me wonder why I bought a Compact SUV (my 2021 EcoSport) instead of a sedan in my 20's.

Also till that moment my dad had driven my EcoSport only briefly on the day I took delivery. So I decided to see if he likes the EcoSport and asked him to use it the next couple of days. After 2 days my dad told me that this was the perfect car. It had a strong AC, easy ingress/egress and felt the clutch, gearbox and steering were way easier to operate in comparison to the Innova.

This is where I casually mentioned that he can keep the EcoSport it he wanted to, while I go get myself a new car. An offer was also made to sell the Innova and buy a Petrol EcoSport for my dad. That would make it two EcoSports in the house. He was against getting the same car again.

So off I went in search of my sedan, I had only the Honda City V Petrol on my mind. Decided to skip the diesel(the fuel I prefer) this time due to the DPF issues I had with my EcoSport when I started to use the car inside the city, owing to my office reopening.

Hyundai Verna was never on the radar, reason being I had driven a lot of the older Hyundai cars and they just did not have the fun to drive feel. The lifeless steering and neutral handling were a turnoff. However just browsed the Verna and the SX variant Petrol looked VFM on paper. Decided to test drive the car and see if it feels special.

On July 3, 2022 I headed to V3 Hyundai and took a test drive of the Verna. First impressions, the car looked great and felt great. The engine was tractable, extremely refined and quiet. The gearbox was an absolute peach. I walked away feeling pleasantly surprised with what I had just experienced. Even then my mind was set on the Honda City. The test drive Verna I drove had 10k kms on the Odo and was well maintained.

A couple of days later, when I visited Citroen to see the C3. I decided to drop into the Honda showroom nearby to get a feel of the City. The test drive car was a brand new example with 1500kms on the Odo. However the car was reeking of a foul smell (read sweat), my friend and I jumped out of the car as we were unable to bear it. Left the door and windows open for a few minutes before continuing with the drive. The City felt very neutral, the engine was rev happy and sounded nice. But the gearbox lacked feel and the ridiculous placement of the reverse gear just felt bad. This is a car that is perfectly suited for people that like to be chauffeured around. I can't believe I am saying this and neither will you (the reader) be able to accept, but the Verna was way more engaging and felt special to drive. The steering felt more direct and had a better feedback in the Verna and the car felt tighter around corners. As soon as I got out of the City I had made up my mind, "The Verna it is".

[Shanksta]

12 years with an Innova !

13 December 2009 was the day we brought home our Innova. Ours was a GX variant in dark red mica metallic with the 8 seater configuration. My dad bought the Innova to replace his 2002 Hyundai Accent GVS as we needed the space and 8 seats. The Innova was worlds apart in comparison to the Accent and we were blown away by the durability and performance.

That 2.5 liter D4d engine is a workhorse and I am yet to come across an engine that feels as tractable to drive. The gearbox despite the long throw, always felt positive to use, would also sometimes whack you in the knee if you were being too enthusiastic.

The Toyota service over the past 12 years and 7 months was consistent. The service center staff were always polite, did not overcharge and also if they did would remove the unwanted work in a jiffy. The car was maintained at Lanson Toyota for the past 10 years, always happy with their service.

Now let's talk durability,
* My Innova still had the original front brake rotors, original clutch at the time of sale.
* The front brake pads were changed only once at 62k kms. The rear brake shoes were still stock at the time of sale.
* Through the years the head light and tail light bulbs were replaced a couple of times.
* The Aircon was untouched and still worked well.
* The alternator bearing was replaced once in 2016, this was owing to rust because of the driving the car through 1.5 ft of water during the 2015 floods.
* The battery was replaced 4 times (used to be dead exactly every three years, used Amaron black)
* Tyres were replaced twice. Once at 52k kms with Continental CPC2s and the second time with Nexens at 108k kms.
* Every panel still had original paint, although the car definitely needed some TLC after 12.5 years.
* Starter motor was serviced once at Toyota 1.5 years ago. Used to start in half a crank post the service.
* Every knob and button in the car worked perfectly even after 12.5 years.

We as a family have a lot of wonderful memories associated with our Innova. It has been subjected to all sorts of terrain and weather. An extremely thoughtful and well made car made by some of the best minds at Toyota.

On 13 July 2022 we handed over the keys to our beloved steed to the guys from Hyundai HPromise after signing off on all the forms. It was very difficult to see her being driven away. The Innova was also sold off within the next week, which we realised as my dad got a SMS from Lanson Toyota with the estimate for the 150k kms service. Looks to be sold to a family that will be taking good care of the Innova, this is my assumption based on the huge service estimate and final invoice(included a bit of preventive maintenance) we saw on the Tconnect app.

Some of my favourite pictures:

Ayudha Pooja


At Coimbatore


My companion during my late night drives


Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

[Shanksta]

Booking and Delivery experience

After the first test drive, I had called 3 different dealers. Long story short I liked the way the sales advisor dealt with me at V3 Hyundai and decided to book the car there.

On 9th July, my dad and I went to V3 and took a longer test drive. My dad too liked my choice and I decided to go ahead with booking. But which variant ?

My dad asked me to book the S+ but I wanted the SX. Now the price difference between the S+ and SX was a little over 2.2 lakhs on road(1.47 lakhs ex showroom price difference). Major reason for this was the S+ was a shade under 10 lakhs ex showroom and fell under a lower slab for the road tax and also did not have the 1% TCS.

We made a list of all the feature differences between the S+ and SX. More than half of them were available as accessories and amounted to roughly about 1.4 lakhs more. But I was very clear that it would be a better choice to opt for the SX and have everything factory fit. I hate messing with factory fit and finish.

The features we got over and above the S+ were:

* Projector headlamps with DRLs, cornering lamps, LED strip in the tail light, Auto Headlamps and Projector fog lamps.
* Tyre Pressure Monitoring System & 16" alloy wheels.
* Cruise Control, Automatic Climate Control and Smart Trunk.
* Keyless entry and Push button Start/Stop with smart keys.
* Electrochromic IRVM and electrically foldable ORVMs.
* Cooled glovebox, wireless charging pad and rear defogger.
* The cooler looking digital instrument cluster.
* Driver seat height adjustment, insulation for the boot lid(S+ had all the wires visible)
* 4 speakers and 2 tweeters along with a 9" music system that supports wireless Android auto and Apple carplay. Also has a rear view camera.
* Tasteful chrome touches on the sides of the car. I HATE chrome but the at least on my red Verna it looks good. Still hate the chrome grill a bit even though it is a dark chrome.
* A gear lever that felt more premium and silver door handles on the inside.
* Rear windshield defogger and a pull out curtain for the rear windshield.

Out of the above the major features that swayed my decision for the SX was the rear defogger(must have as there is no rear wiper), Driver seat height adjustment, better sounding factory fit music system and the climate control. My EcoSport had also gotten me used to keyless entry, projector lamps and DRL(looks cool no other function at least in India) so these were added brownie points.

After a 30 minute brainstorming session I booked the SX variant in Fiery Red(pre-decided at home) by paying a booking amount of Rs.5000. The waiting period quoted was 45-60 days. So tentatively I would be getting the car in mid September. The final on-road price was 13.55 lakhs. (Splitup (The "I Booked my Car" Thread))

We managed to get our car allotted in 2 weeks. My car was manufactured and assembled in July 2022 and was dispatched to the dealer on 03rd August. FYI Vernas are mostly made to order for the domestic market apparently and when I dug around a bit I found a few people talking of waiting for 4-5 months since booking. It was super quick for me to get the car in 34 days.

I had made it clear to my sales advisor that I would sign the RTO forms only after physically seeing the car once it arrived at their stockyard. On 01st October I was told that the car has been allotted. On 2nd October I completed all the loan formalities and also had loan disbursed with a little bit of the final amount pending from my side that I paid after checking the car. On 04th October the car arrived at the dealer stockyard and I went in the afternoon and there I saw Sena for the first time, parked under the shade of mango trees the red shade looked brilliant. I was very excited and just checked the car for a bit and gave the green signal.

First look at the stockyard !


I chose to get seat covers, non-illuminated scuff plates and footwell lighting fitted at the dealer. No discounts offered and I paid a total of 18000 for the accessories.

I had to wait for 9 more days for the dealer to complete the simple job of invoicing, registration, buying an insurance policy and affixing a Fastag. Anyway I let this not spoil my mood and took delivery on 13th August. The delivery was a little special to me as my close friend also took delivery of his Venue at the same time(he booked the car at the same showroom because of me). The car was neat, all accessories fitted, demo was given, they did a puja, number plates were fixed and got a box of chocolates. But the delivery was delayed by 45 minutes due to a lot of new cars being delivered. Also saw a new Venue delivered sporting the Live to Drive sticker.

Delivery Day:

[Shanksta]

Life with the Verna

Odometer reading at the time of this thread going live is a little over 3500kms covered in the past 56 days.

I grab the smart key and put it into my pocket. As I reach the driver door, I push the small black button to unlock the car. I sit inside the car on the comfortable driver seat and push the Start/Stop. The first time it goes into "Accessory" mode, I push the button again and now the MID is showing a little image of the Verna with the "System Check" message. This is also accompanied by the seat belt warning bonging away to glory. I wear the seatbelt and by this time(2-3 seconds) the system check message disappears along with most of the warning symbols. I depress the clutch, pull the gear lever to neutral and push the start/stop button again. The silky smooth 1497cc 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol comes to life and it growls on cold starts. The RPM stays at 1300rpm for a good 30 seconds(typical of a NA petrol) before settling down to 600rpm. At this point I turn on the air conditioner, my previous settings are displayed. The tachometer now shows 700rpm with the AC turned on as I use the beautiful 6-speed manual transmission to slot into first and feel the low-end torque as I get going.

So sit back, relax and I will share my thoughts on each aspect of the Verna.

Exterior:

With my friend's Altroz


The fluidic Verna when launched back in the day was a stunning looking sedan. Over the years they kept refining this design to a point where it still looks relevant in 2022. My Verna which is basically the 4th facelift or "The Spirited New Verna" as Hyundai calls it is a well proportioned car that is easy on the eye. Yes, you can mistake it for an I-20 when you look head-on but there are subtle difference that make it look different. The grille is something I do not hate but personally feel would have looked better in black(like the one on the 1.0L Turbo variant). I love the silhouette of the Verna, my favourite angle the view and the front and rear 1/3rd and the the dead on rear view. The coupe like sloping roof at the rear looks brilliant and those tail lamps look well-done(especially in the night). The rear bumper has a diffuser that does not look out of place and there are also there air vents on the sides, which have mistaken for a broken bumper by a few of my friends and relatives. All the panels feel strong to the touch and the doors have a decent thud while closing them.


Interior:



Now the major change made on the Verna with the 3rd facelift was the revamp of the interiors. I love the dashboard design on my Verna. The centre console is tilted a bit towards the driver, this definitely makes a difference in the ease of operating the buttons as I realised when I drove my EcoSport after a long stint with the Verna. The quality of materials used along with the fit and finish is typically Hyundai, with absolutely zero complaints from my side. Everything is laid out ergonomically. The centre arm-rest can be adjusted fore and aft. The steering wheel feels meaty although it would have been great if it was a size smaller. The tactile feel and feedback of all the buttons in the cabin are very positive and premium. The front seats offer good support and you sit a much lesser "knees-up" position when compared to the Honda City. The rear seat is a much different story though, remember the coupe like design I was praising, it has eaten into the headroom a lot. Anyone above 6 feet will feel the roof-liner. Also this car is strictly for 4 adults and 1 small kid. The leg room is decent all around.


Engine



This 1497cc petrol mill from Hyundai is extremely refined. The low-end torque for city usage is appropriate with the engine never feeling choked or stuttering while crawling in 3rd gear at 25-30kmph. You can also easily pull away from the smaller speed breakers in 2nd gear. This engine is very quiet till 2400rpm post which it starts becoming a bit vocal (a relatively good soundtrack though). Did I mentioned this engine sips on Petrol when compared to the earlier 1.6 liter engine. I have been steadily getting 10.4-11.5 kmpl within the city with AC on always and in peak office hour commute(13 kms in 50 minutes). Been on one long drive to Guruvayur and I got an astounding 18.25 kmpl for the 1252 kms round trip from Chennai, was driving between 85-110 kmph. This engine hates to be revved beyond 2800rpm though or at least it sounds that way to me.


Clutch and Gearbox

After having driven close to 2200kms within the city, I felt this clutch was very light and manageable in traffic. The clutch travel is a bit long but nothing out of the ordinary. The pedal rebound is a little stronger than my EcoSport though.

This 6 speed manual transmission from Hyundai is a gem. The way each gear slots into position with a reassuring feel is something to be experienced. The gear shifter knob is well designed and my palm feels relaxed while gripping the shifter. The collar to engage the reverse gear is also well finished. The gear shifter is my most favourite bit on the Verna.


HVAC

One word: "Chiller". The front and rear AC vents blow a good volume of air even in the lowest blower setting. I usually set the temperature to 20 in the morning and 24 in the evening and let the AUTO mode do its job.


Ride & Handling

Based on the Hyundai cars I have driven over the years, I have always felt "Hyundai" + "Great Handling" was impossible to fit in the same sentence but the Verna proved me wrong and in a very big way. This car feels sure-footed around corners with very minimal body roll. On the highways it feels planted and there is never a scary moment. The suspension is a bit jumpy at very low speeds (relatively better than my EcoSport) but overall is setup pretty well for a sedan to be used everyday. Only the really sharp bumps filter through while everything else is masked pretty well.


Braking

The beautiful taillamps


The Verna 1.5 petrol comes equipped with disc brakes at the front and drum at the rear. Only the 1.0T alone gets discs at the rear too. I have found the brakes to be on point for my style of driving. They are not grabby like my EcoSport but feel very linear and when stepped on brings the car to halt immediately without any drama. I had one emergency braking situation when a cow decided to wander 20 meters ahead of me while I was doing 60 kmph on ECR. There was no vehicle tailing me and hence instead of swerving I stomped on the brakes and the car same to a halt without any drama. Infact the Emergency hazard light came on and also I did not even feel the ABS kicking in that usually makes the pedal vibrate.


Steering



My Innova had a wonderful hydraulic steering, my first car (a pre-worshipped Fiat Punto) had one of the best steering wheels there was on a mass market car and my current two cars (EcoSport & Cedia) have some of the best steering wheels with respect to weight, feel and feedback. So trust me when I tell you Hyundai has come a long way from the lifeless steerings their older models had.

The Verna's steering wheel is meaty, easy to use, weighs up adequately at speed(enough to give you the confidence to push the car around corners) and it feels brilliant. The self-centering is on point and every single button on the steering wheel feels premium to use. The leather wrap is well done and makes the steering very comfortable to hold onto. There is only tilt and no telescopic adjust available for the SX variant.


Infotainment

The Verna comes with a 9" touch screen with built-in Android auto and Apple CarPlay. I am an Android guy and the Android auto is new to me. I find it convenient, however while connected wirelessly the phone keeps disconnecting every 1-1.5 hours. This is not present when I connect it with a wire and similarly when I connect only to the bluetooth there is no issue. Need to get it checked during my 10k service. The reverse camera has adaptive guidelines and a major plus is you can see the tip of the bumper, so you know exactly how far you can push your luck. The rear view camera can also be turned on manually, a feature Hyundai calls Driver Rear View Monitor/DRVM. I find this pretty useful especially in the night when the view out of the mirror is dark.


Miscellaneous points

* The SX variant does not get Auto mirror fold/unfold during lock/unlock, this is despite the mirrors having the motor to close them electrically. The service centre also told me there is no way to enable this through software.
* The centre armrest can be adjusted forward/backward, this is supremely useful based on the kind of drive you undertake.
* The rear seat space can be at a premium if people in the front sit in a more relaxed position with the seat pushed back.
* I was extremely skeptical about the ground clearance initially, but with a good amount driving on all sorts of terrain now I have realised that she can handle everything without scraping the belly when driven with care.
* The fit and finish of the interiors is top notch and it is put together so tight that I was unable to wire the dash cam on my own(an issue I never faced with my previous cars). Got it wired during first service.
* There a neat little rubber strip sealing the gap between the hood and the bumper, this also ensures the engine bay sees lesser dust.
* The rear windshield gets a manually operated sunshade from the factory, yet to use this but it does the job.
* This is my first car with a cruise control and I find it super convenient to use. Yes, cruise control can be used in India if you are a bit cautious and alert behind the wheel.
* The flow from the rear AC vents for the rear seat passengers is effective and all my passengers have complemented the same till now.
* The Auto headlamps is again a first for me and I find it very convenient, the Verna is making me very very lazy.
* I bought and installed the 70Mai A500+ in the Verna and that is when I realised the huge blacked out section near the inner rear view mirror limits your options to mount the camera.
* I was not a fan of the OE alloys on the SX variant when I first saw them in the white test drive vehicle, however these look great with red shade and I have saved 50k I had thought of spending on Lenso Jager Dynas for now.
* The cornering lamps are a first for me and are truly useful in unlit roads/intersections when you have to turn.
* The glovebox opening and closing should have been damped by Hyundai. It just falls as pull the lever.
* The reverse camera quality at night is horrible and I wonder how much Hyundai actually saved by skimping on a better quality camera.
* The fog lamps seems very weak and not really useful apart from enhancing the looks of the car.
* There are two trip meters "Accumulated info" and "Drive info". The drive info trip meter keep resetting itself after a few hours of the car being turned off. I find this super irritating.
* Compared to the EcoSport the Verna does not get an Average speed reading in the tripmeters.
* The MID has a ton of customisation options available in each sub-menu.
* The boot is huge and can carry enough luggage for four adults going on a long road trip. The loading lip is a little high and one needs to be careful not to scratch the bumper while loading luggage.

The custom seat covers I got made to match the interiors




Kitna Deti Hai ?



Now this was a big concern for me while I bought the car. Being the primary user of diesel vehicles ever since I got my license I was not used to seeing anything below two digit mileage figures. The old Petrol Verna was known for its thirst, however since I smitten by the Verna I went ahead with the purchase.

The good news is that the new BS6 is a sipper, I regularly get 10.2 to 11.5 kmpl in city usage with the AC turned on 100% of the time and the one highway drive I did till now saw the Verna returning an average of 18.25 kmpl over 1250 kms. Yes, you read that right. The full tank of petrol I filled in Coimbatore during my onward journey managed to take me to Guruvayur and back to Chennai till my regular petrol pump with the distance to empty reading 21kms. I covered 752 kms in a single tank. A major contributor to this stellar mileage is the 6th gear. I was not cruising between 85-110kmph throughout with the AC turned on. I am totally satisfied with this mileage. The 45 liter tank manages to have 5 litres in reserve when the distance to empty reads 20 kms or lesser.


Issues/Niggles

Apart from the laggy Android Auto connection, my first long drive helped me identify an issue with the sunroof drain pipes. During my return journey around 80kms before Salem it started raining in sheets. The rain was so bad that most of the cars stopped by the side of the road, however I continued cautiously at 50 kmph. After driving for sometime in the heavy rain, something made me look up at the roof liner and there it was a nice wet spot on both the A pillars at the point where the roof liner meets the A-pillar plastic trim. There was no water dripping, it was more like a slow seepage where a few drops were getting the roof liner wet. I was extremely disappointed and angry that my brand new 1300kms run car was leaking.





During my first service I showed it to the service manager, he took the car inside to pressure wash and confirmed there was a leak. He suggested I could get the entire sunroof assembly replaced under warranty as it was new car. After a few minutes he came back and told me he found the culprit for the leak. The sunroof has two drain pipes, one going along each A-pillar. Now these pipes are clipped onto the sunroof assembly using metal clips and apparently these clips were not tightened properly during assembly and hence the leak. He suggested he could tighten the clips with a guarantee that it would not leak again.

I had nothing to lose anyway because if it leaked again I could get the entire assembly replaced under warranty, plus a part of me just could not bear the thought of the entire interior getting ripped apart to remove and reinstall the sunroof assembly. So I went ahead with the fix. Post this I have pressure washed the car 3 times and also used her under heavy rains. There have been no further leaks till now. Kudos to the service manager for tracing the leak in under an hour from the time I gave the car for the first service.

Apart from this minor hiccup, I have had not other issues with the car till now ! *touchwood*


First Service

To summarise, scheduled an appointment for the first service and landed up at the exact time. Requested them to give the car back in an hour or two as I knew they would only wash and inspect. Was told by an advisor they would take a day to return the car. Raised my voice regarding the ridiculous 24hr turnaround time. He requested me to talk to his service manager. The service manager(who was extremely helpful) came and asked me if I had any complaints with the car, told him about the sunroof leak along with the pictures I had. He took the car inside and put it first for washing, within the next hour and a half the car was washed, leak was identified, car was inspected and then the earlier mentioned fix was done. I was out within three hours. Was charged Rs. 150 mentioned as consumables, paid up . Later around afternoon I received a follow-up message from the service manager asking me to reach out to him incase the leak was still present.

Anyway I was truly happy with the service done, except for the ridiculous 24 hour turnaround time the Service advisor mentioned initially for the simple first service.

Conclusion

I am extremely happy with the Verna. It is a solid all-rounder that gets the job done and you can have fun at the same time. What Hyundai has truly managed to excel with the Verna is making it feel premium for the price you pay. IMHO this car is still relevant in 2022 when I compare it to the competition. I look forward to many more wonderful memories with Sena.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[narayans80]

Congratulations Shanksta on your Verna.

Originally Posted by Shanksta

The wireless Android auto in the stock system is wonky and tends to disconnect at least once every hour when connected wirelessly.

I have the exact problem with Carplay. Disconnects without any apparent cause. The phone on wireless charger makes it all the more unstable.

How does it fallback to wired Android Auto? In my case it doesn't. With phone projection disabled, the phone will not connect to the head unit at all.

Kitna Deti Hai ?

18.25 is great, considering Hyundai petrols are not known for their frugality. The only time I saw 19.8 in my 1st gen i10 was when I was a newbie driving at around 80. Future trips never saw anything above 17. Even their diesels are not FE champions.

The MID is tad optimistic isn't it? Since I see 19.x and 20.x from pictures. That 18.25 you mentioned is possibly T2T. How much MID error are you observing?

[TejasV]

Congratulations on buying a beautiful car. The color is great too, we have become boring in terms of color choices I think as buyers, with almost every new car being in one of the 50 shades of grey. And with prices shooting through the roof for no good reason for the new/hotsellers - this car is incredible value, some smaller hatches cost the same these days. Thanks for showing us how and putting this car on the radar for somebody looking for a 10-15 lakh car.

[100Kmphormore]

Congratulations on the Verna! I test drove this car recently and found the steering to be a little better, probably a20% improvement over the original. Interiors are undoubtedly plush compared to other sedans. The headlights though are overkill, they should have kept the 2018 headlights.

[RaghavEvoX]

Congratulations on your purchase.

I have a 2017 Verna 1.6 P AT and I can assure you it will be a no-nonsense experience.
It's been 5 years for me and I am quite happy with the car and also the Service (HMP Alandur Chennai - Company owned).

But my only problem with the car is, I don't know where is all the 123 HP hidden.
I have pushed the car to the limits and the maximum I could reach is 140 kmph.
I don't know it is due to the engine or with the autobox.

How much is the actual top speed of the Verna P MT ?

[Asish_VK]

Congrats on the Verna, She looks hot in red color.

It's refreshing to see an ownership review of a Sedan in this age of "SUV" craze. What makes this review sweeter is that it is of a car which is getting forgotten by most of the general population.

Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a very long and pleasant ownership

[Shanksta]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Congratulations Shanksta on your Verna.

How does it fallback to wired Android Auto? In my case it doesn't. With phone projection disabled, the phone will not connect to the head unit at all.

The MID is tad optimistic isn't it? Since I see 19.x and 20.x from pictures. That 18.25 you mentioned is possibly T2T. How much MID error are you observing?

Thank you narayan80.

In my car as soon as I connect the charging cable using the USB port below the AC unit it triggers Android auto.

Within city the Verna runs anywhere between 415-450kms on a tank of fuel ~41 liters. I have noticed a MID error of 1-1.2 kmpl vs what I calculate manually and yes that picture in the review after my first highway drive there was an MID error of 1.65 kmpl.

Originally Posted by TejasV

Congratulations on buying a beautiful car.

Thank you TejasV !

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

Congratulations on the Verna!

Thank you 100kmphormore !

Originally Posted by RaghavEvoX

Congratulations on your purchase.

How much is the actual top speed of the Verna P MT ?

Thank you RaghavEvoX ! It's reassuring to know it will be a good ownership experience. I have not pushed the car beyond 120 kmph till now. Will send you a PM when I do.

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Congrats on the Verna, She looks hot in red color.

Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a very long and pleasant ownership

Thank you for the kind words Asish_VK !

[pavi]

Congratulations on your Verna. It's a refreshing change to see a sedan review, than the usual 'tackle large pothole and speed breaker' cars. I was also pleasantly surprised when I experienced the steering feel in a Kia Carens which my friend bought recently. I was not at all excited when he gave me the keys due to the previous driving experiences in Hyundai cars. But the improvement is definitely leaps and bounds. I end up driving quite a distance. Although the steering is light at parking speeds, it weighs up beautifully when the speed increases. I would rate it better than my 4th gen Honda City and almost (almost) at par with my Skoda Rapid.

[Shyam92]

Congratulations on new car!

Only after driving my Dad's 2017 Verna SX, I started wondering why Hyundai is not considered an 'enthusiast's brand'?

[Shanksta]

Current odometer reading : 11495 kms



It has been 4 months with the Verna and I have crossed the 10k kms milestone in 118 days. If you're wondering how I did that, I undertook a 15 day/6407.9 kms road trip with my parents (travelogue coming shortly).

I must say this road trip was an eye opener for me that showed what the Verna was truly capable of. I was more than happy with my decision to buy the Verna in its petrol/manual avatar. The cruise control was a boon, the AC kept us supremely comfortable and the suspension and seats proved their worth as none of us experienced fatigue or any kind of back pain. The boot space was more than enough to gobble the massive luggage.

We drove through Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab covering a total of 6407.9 kms (round-trip from Chennai). I was the solo driver and did about 110 hrs behind the wheel in 15 days. The Verna returned an overall calculated mileage of 16.40 km/l.



Second service @ 11467 kms

Once we were back from the roadtrip the first action item was to get the Verna serviced. Appointment booked and I landed up at the V3 service center in OMR at 9:15AM. The number of cars at Hyundai workshops is crazy. I was attended to and the job card was raised by 9:45AM. The engine oil, oil filter, air filter and AC filter were replaced. Brakes cleaned, fluids checked, OBD scan done and the car was taken for wash and I received the car back at 5:35PM. The total bill was ₹ 2809.

Other observations:

* The engine has opened up nicely post 6k kms. Earlier the engine used to feel hesitant to accelerate, she now does it eagerly.

* The stock music system is really good and more than adequate for me. If am not an audiophile but I do hate when my music sounds bad, which is not the case in the Verna.

* The suspension is supremely comfortable over undulations and at the same time very taut on the highway giving you all the confidence you need.

* The steering is very communicative and the car goes where you want it to. The stock Bridgestones did a good job of sticking to the road.

* The boot lip is pretty high and trust me I got quite the workout lifting all those suitcases for 15 days daily to prevent the bumper from getting scratches while loading/unloading them from the boot.

* The 45 liter fuel tank provides an healthy 700km range on the highway. I typically kept refueling every 500-600kms.

* Had plenty of emergency braking situations especially in Madhya Pradesh, courtesy the cows. The brakes are very good and enough for my driving style (typically maintain between 90-110kmph).

* The high beam and fog lights in stock form are average at best. Especially when you have opposite traffic blinding you.

* I have driven this route last year in my EcoSport and I was most anxious about the potholes and massive speed breakers enroute. However with hardly any babying around the Verna managed everything in her stride without bottoming out even once. I even flew over a couple of speed breakers in the night at 70-80kmph (typical hidden speed breakers without any warning) and yet nope she just flew over them and kept us calm.

I keep discovering something new as I keep driving the Verna more. Will keep this thread updated. Until then wishing everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year!